Nothing stirs a pang of nostalgia quite like the rainbow logo of Esprit. The brand, which launched in 1968 but peaked in the '80s and '90s, is closely associated with technicolor stripes, inclusive casting, and, of course, food courts. As the mall brand of the late '80s, the affordable label had a mass appeal that simultaneously managed to make you feel special—like an individual. To put it simply, it captured everything we wanted to wear.

Opening Ceremony's reinterpretation of Esprit reminds us that its original appeal wasn't just about ditsy prints and bucket hats, but an attainable ease of style; a San Francisco brand easily mistaken as European. Carol Lim, who co-founded OC alongside Humberto Leon, spoke to ELLE.com about the brand's second collaboration with Esprit, '80s mall culture, and more.

I was raised on it. In the early '80s it was the brand that I wanted to wear head-to-toe and I begged my mom for all the pieces and every time I saw the advertising it just was something that I wanted to be a part of, that Esprit community. I know Humberto feels the same it was actually really really impactful for us growing up.

What was it like to shop there back in the late '80s?

We mention all of these things about the 'retail experience' but when we [went] into the Esprit store you'd see all of the architecture, the design. I mean they were the first to collaborate with other cultural mediums like the Memphis Architecture Group, even Olivier Toscani, who shot their campaigns. They really created this dynamic around infusing their relationships with other people from different areas into their stores, so their store experience—even the packaging—everything was so thought through. I remember started saving the bags when I'd go to the store and buy it. I think for me it's the brand of my childhood.

A vintage Esprit ad from the eighties.

Courtesy of Opening Ceremony x Esprit

Would you consider yourself a mall rat?

Definitely. I mean I worked in the mall since I was 12 years old. And the mall was amazing. It was the place you got dropped off and you got to hang around with your friends and your mom would pick you up so it was really to me I have such good experiences with the mall. And I think when people say mall know everyone's like 'oh they're so boring.' Back then, they were so amazing. The brands then had such a point of view. The Gap was amazing. And then you have places like Benetton and Esprit, Wet Seal and Contempo Casual. They all had very specific looks. And you could tell if you had different vibes you'd shop here or there.

Matching sets from the collection.

Courtesy of Opening Ceremony x Esprit

Speaking of that period, a lot of brands like The Gap, Esprit, Tommy Hilfiger, and Guess are giving the consumers a more nostalgic feel with archived re-issues and vintage-inspired collections. Do you think that that speaks to the kind of culture we're living in right now?

There's such a fast pace to how people experience brands. Some of these brands have existed since a very long time. A lot of people don't know that they've been around since the '70s, '80s, '90s, and I think it's important to be able to educate and story tell. I think that, you know, color block, print, pastel, like a lot of this DNA is really what Esprit started and I don't know if people know that. We're taking a language they created and putting it back into a modern collection. You know you might not know what Esprit is about, but the collection should not feel nostalgic. Even if you're going back it should always feel like it's from now.

A throwback campaign starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Courtesy of Opening Ceremony x Esprit

Right, it's more about the authenticity of the origin and bringing what appeals to today's customer. A lot of people that will shop this will probably be the same ones who wore it back in the '90s. How do you think that younger generation—the ones who don't have this nostalgic connection—will feel with this collaboration?

Hopefully they're going to connect with the imagery that we shoot to the actual pieces. We wanted to make sure [that even if you don't know anything about the brand] that you would feel connected to the product and that it really is something like that things you can easily incorporate into your wardrobe. Then the added bonus is we made sure everyone in out store knows the history and its importance. We like that balance: Introducing a new customer to a brand that has been around for a very long time.

Did you ever have a specific Esprit piece that you loved when you were younger?

One of my favorite pieces—well I had this sweater that had these bolts down it that I loved—but my favorite other piece was a twin set.it was a pair of like cropped pants and a dress shirt . It had a cherry print and it was in fuchsia. I remember it vividly because I basically wore it until it disintegrated.

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